Father Farfaglia sent me the following hard-hitting response to the editorial, and he asserts: "I am willing to stand by what I have written."

'Last Sunday evening, after having finished a rather intense day of parish work, I received an e-mail with very disturbing news. The e-mail contained a copy of an editorial written by Thomas Hoopes, executive editor of the National Catholic Register.

'To be perfectly honest, I was angry and devastated by Mr. Hoope's affirmations: '...and though we disagree on much, I, for one, always liked Obama. He is a civil, decent man.'

'I would expect this kind of commentary coming from the National Catholic Reporter, or the New York dioceses of Albany and Rochester. I am still shocked that this kind of commentary has flowed from the pen of the editor of a Catholic newspaper known by thousands for its orthodoxy and conservatism.

'Whatever is true or not true about [the abuse allegations against] Father Marcial Maciel, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, if he were alive today he probably would have fired Mr. Hoopes and sent his superiors to Siberia.

'As a former Legionary of Christ, I had extensive personal conversations with Father Maciel to know, first hand, his anti-communist stand and his conservative politics. When Ronald Reagan bombed Libya, Father said to a number of us joining him for lunch at the Legion's Rome seminary, 'There's a man with guts.'

'Where has Mr. Hoopes been during the entire presidential campaign? Has he not heard of Obama's associations with Saul Alinsky, Bill Ayers and Jeremiah Wright? Father Maciel would have understood Obama for who he is: a dangerous, radical leftist with Marxist ideas. He would have understood Obama as the most pro-abortion political leader ever to occupy the White House.

'Father Maciel had a profound love for the United States of America, and he would have done everything in his power to stop Obama from gaining the presidency. He would never have considered him to be 'a civil, decent man.' Obama is evil and has blood on his hands. Catholics who supported Obama — like Mr. Hoopes — also have blood on their hands.

'I am not going to waste my time refuting Mr. Hoope's arguments. However, I will say that his statements are ridiculous, naïve, disappointing and scandalous. The thousands of pro-life Catholics who have trusted the National Catholic Register should cancel their subscriptions immediately. When it comes to the issue of life, there is no room for 'compassionate truth.' Yes, the truth must be preached and taught with patience and compassion, but we can never give in to compromise.

'The 'compassionate truth' line reminds me of a conversation that I had many years ago with a Legion of Christ superior. After an enjoyable dinner in the Cheshire seminary, the superior told me the congregation had just purchased the National Catholic Register. I was happy to hear the good news, but was perplexed when the priest proceeded to inform me that 'We will follow the middle of the road.' What does that mean, I thought to myself? Does that mean that the Legion of Christ will not challenge the heretical American bishops? Does that mean that the Legion of Christ will continue to shower gifts upon corrupt and inept Vatican officials who fiddle while the Catholic Church in America continues to burn?

'Cardinal James Francis Stafford was correct when he said that the election of Obama is 'aggressive, disruptive and apocalyptic.' Mr. Hoopes and his superiors have been deceived by the most dangerous man ever to be elected to the White House. Mr. Hoopes and his superiors think that they can trick the dedicated heroes of the pro-life movement. I don't think so. Remember what Abraham Lincoln once said: 'You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.'

'Maybe it's time for the National Catholic Register and the Legion of Christ to return to the dirt roads of Mexico from whence they came. Rather than being part of the solution, they have become part of the problem. They are the enemy from within.'

Matt C. Abbott

Matt C. Abbott is a Catholic commentator with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication, Media and Theatre from Northeastern Illinois University. He's been interviewed on MSNBC, NPR, WLS-TV (ABC) in Chicago, WMTV (NBC) in Madison, Wis., and has been quoted in The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. He can be reached at mattcabbott@<NOSPAM>gmail.com.

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